Journal box packing



June 20, 1961 F. E. LuKl-:Ns

JOURNAL Box PACKING Filed May 7, 1958 uRErHA/VE URETHANE g 30 ADHES/VEmw.. m 4 m Lm F E.,

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ki, :blllfr United States Patent O 2,989,325 JOURNAL BOX PACKINGFrederick E. Lukens, Palos Heights, Ill., assignor to AlbertManufacturing Corp., a corporation of Indiana Filed May 7, 1958, Ser.No. 733,583 3 Claims. (Cl. 286d6) The present invention relates to animprovedv journal box dust guard which functions to minimize oil leakageand effectually intercepts and prevents dust and deleterious media fromentering the journal box.

Briey, the invention in its preferred embodiment is characterized by ashield in the form of a compressibly resilient pad possessing desiredcushioning properties and dust and oil sealing properties. The shield,as an entity, is constructed and designed to lit telescopically into theusual groove or channel at one end of the journalbox and embodies anumber of features not found, it is believed, in generally analogousprior art adaptations.

One feature of the invention resides in the adoption and use of a bodyportion which is preferably, but not necessarily, constructed ofurethane or an equivalent material having the spongy and sealingproperties desired. This material has been found to be best for oilresistance. However, wool, felt, cotton wicking, rubber or suitableplastics of appropriate flexibility may be utilized.

The body portion is encompassed or surrounded by an outer felt rim orbinder to insure added protection against dust and to absorb any excessoil. The Ifelt also keeps a wire frame, which is embedded in the shield,from wearing through the pad or breaking.

The invention also features a center ring or collar, preferably of feltand which has the desired snug-fitting and oil sealing characteristicsdesired.

Other objects, features and advantages will become more readily apparentfrom the following description and the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing wherein like numerals are employed to designate likeparts throughout the views:

FIG. 1 is a perspective View of the improved journal box guard.

FIG. 2 is an elevation observing the side of the guard not seen in FIG.1.

FIG. 3 is a section on the line 3 3 of FIG. 1 looking in the directionof the arrows.

FIG. 4 is a cross-section on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a view showing fragmentary portions of the journal box andjournal with the improved guard in its intended functioning position.

The lbody portion of the guard is denoted by the numeral 6 and it has astraight across top edge, a rounded bottom edge and straight verticaledges. This part is also referred to as a pad and is preferablyconstructed of urethane. At its center it is provided with a circularjournal opening or hole surrounded by `a groove 8 of the shape seen inFIG. 5. Fitted in this groove is the felt or equivalent collar 10, theinner periphery of which is bevelled at 12 to snugly hug the embracedportion of the journal 14. The journal box is denoted at 16 and thegrooved portion at 18. Attention is now directed to the U-shapedreinforcing Wire frame having a bight portion 20 embracing the -roundedlower marginal edge portion of the pad and having straight limb portions22 embracing the straight vertical edges of the pad. The upper ends ofthe wire are projected laterally and outwardly at 24 and are bentdownwardly at 26 to provide attaching and retaining hooks. These hooksassist in holding the seal or guard aptly in place as is evident in FIG.5. The aforementioned edge binder or border is denoted generally by thenumeral 28 and it will be seen that it completely encompasses themarginal edges of the pad or body portion 6 as brought out to advantagein FIG. 3. The inner surfaces of the portions making up the lbinder areadhesively or otherwise attached to the cooperating surfaces of the padand the coacting portions 20 and 22 of the wire frame are interposed andeffectively secured in place between the opposed adhesively connectedsurfaces.

As a further feature urethane strips or adhesive tapes 30 are providedand these are fastened in place against the front and back or inner andouter surfaces of the shield. It will be noticed in FIGS. 4 and 5 thatthese tapes are suiciently wide that they bridge and cover thejunctional meeting edges of the pad `6 and felt binder respectively.

The obvious purpose of the inner felt ring or collar is to an adequateseal `against the car axle or journal. The urethane foam with urethanelilm coating surfaces form an oil seal and -a cushion to seal out thedust. The wire frame is sprung into the mold during the manufacture soas to cause outward stress which has been found to be necessary inassisting and holding the pad in the box. The over-all shield may besuflciently wide that it is shoved firmly into the groove means andcompresses slightly to lassist in keeping its given position. With theadded retention properties of the hooks 24 and 26 the shield remainseiectually in its intended position. It will be further noticed that thecollar 10 is positioned so that it is nearer to the -rear of the journalbox. It is also molded in place at an angle in order to produce abevelled snug-fitting effect. The wider part, the part of greatestdiameter, is the same in diameter as the axle or journal. By using thestrips or tapes 30' of urethane foam and gluing the same to bothinwardly and outwardly facing sides of the over-all seal provides thedesired marginal thickness to increase the over-all efficiency of theguard. By insuring a snug fit of the collar it has been found thatburning of the material due to high friction resistance is minimized. Itis further clear that vby coating the surfaces of the pad and locatingthe collar in the groove 8 in the manner seen in FIG. 5, the factor ofilexibility is effectually maintained. The felt binder around theperimeter gives added sealing against dust and oil seepage. Also it hasbeen found that the felt portions retain the oil and the urethane keepsthe oil from flowing away from the felt. With the coinstruction shownthere is little likelihood of oil overflowing the marginal edge portionsof the guard.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A dust guard for use in conjunction with a journal box comprising ashield embodying a body portion having an opening an a median portionthereof to accommodate and permit passage of a journal, a felt collarembedded in said body portion and circumscribing said opening, andattaching and retaining means embodied in said shield and havingterminal hooks to facilitate positioning and holding said shield in thejournal box, said means comprising a U-shaped reinforcing framebordering and adjoined with the principal marginal edge portions of saidbody portion, said frame having a bight portion and duplicate companionlimbs, said limbs having end portions projecting beyond the top edge ofthe body portion and bent laterally and outwardly to form attaching andretaining hooks, and a felt binder completely surrounding the marginaledges of the body portion and secured thereto, the bight portion andlimbs of said U-shaped frame being lodged and embedded in positionbetween saidmarginal edges and cooperating portions of said binder.

2. A dust guard for use in conjunction with a journal box comprising acomposite shield embodying a body portion constructed from compressiblyresilient nrethane and providing a spongy pad, ,said pad havinggenerally fiat inward and outward surfaces, said pad hav,- ing straightvertical edges and a curvate bottom, a substatnially Ushaped wirereinforcing frame `having a bight portion and complemenetal limbs joinedby said bight -portion, said bight portion embracing the curvate bottomportion of the pad and the limbs extending lengthwise along the medianpart of the vertical edges of `the pad, the upper ends of said limbsbeing bent laterally outward and downward and providing attaching andretaining hooks, the entire marginal edges of said pad being surroundedby a felt binder the complemental portions of which are adhesivelyjoined to the complemental edge portions of the pad all the way around,said wire frame being interposed between the cooperating edges of thepad and the cooperating encompassing surfaces of the binder, said hooksbeing cooper-able with the upper corner portions of the felt-bound pad,said pad being cen -trally provided with a -journal opening having afelt collar marginally bordering the opening and secured to the pad.

3. The structure defined in claim 2 and in combination, marginallylocated adhesive tapes which are flat and relatively narrow and whichare adhesively joined to the inward and outward surfaces of the feltbinder and completely cover said vsurfaces and the inner marginal edgesportions and bridge over the j oint between rthe binder and marginaledge portions of the pad and thus seal and cover said joint.

References Cited Vinn lthe tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,339,599 Garren May 11, 1920 2,100,113 Travis Nov. 23, 19'37 2,122,343Grece June 28, 1938 2,159,825 VStevens May 23, 1,939 2,714,023 HennessyJuly 26, 1 955 2,758,853 Beck Aug. 1,4, 1956 2,793,885 Hoyer May 28,V195,7 2,798,746 Hoyer Iuly' 9, 1957 2,858,792 Wright i Nov. 4, Y1958

